Railway-tie.



PATENTED APR. 2, 1907.

F. BRYER. RAILWAY TIE..

APILICATION FILED JUNE 7, 190a.

mwwtm/ WWW UNITED STATES BATENT OFFICE.

FRANK BRYER, OF WATERLOO, IOl/VA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HAIJF TO MICHAEL JAOKMAN, OF WATERLOO, IOWA.

RAILWAY-TIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 2, 1907.

Application filed June 7,1906. Serial No, 320,493.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK BRYER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of WVaterloo, Blackhawk county, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Ties, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railw-a -ties; and the object of my improvement is to furnish a strongly-braced metal tie having its fastening means so arranged as to permit of ready attachment or removal of the rails therefrom. This object I have accomplished by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my improved railway-tie along the line y y in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view of two of my improved ties, showing them in reversed arrangement as actually laid to secure the rails thereon in the most secure manner; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged. sectional view taken transversely on the line w r in Fig. 1.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The tie a, is formed, preferably, of cast-iron having upper longitudinal grooves f and un der longitudinal grooves g, as shown in Fig. 3, to lighten it and save material. However, the tie may be formed in any other suitable manner, as desired, according to the material used or the purpose to which it may be applied in sustaining different weights of load. The essential feature of my improved tie resides in the fastening means.

d (1 represent clutches formed on the top of the tie a, raised above it, and both having their clutcl1surfaces turned in the same direction. The clutches are placed at suitable points on the tie, so that one clutch may engage the inner extension of the base of the rail b, while the other clutch d engages the outer extension of the other parallel rail 1).

e represents a key adapted to enter and engage the inner surface of an opening in the tie from below and which is shaped like a wedge with its vertical side next to and en gaging the opposite edge of the rail-base extension from the clutch d. When the rail 1) is laid upon the tie a at right angles to it and with the edge of one of its base extensions placed so as to engage the inner surface of the clutch d, the key a may be pushed up from below by any convenient means, so that its upper vertical side may engage and clamp the other base extension of the rail opposite to the clutch d. The rail is thus firmly clamped between the key and the clutch.

In practice, as shown in Fig. 2, ties are reversed alternately, so that the clutches may alternate with the keys along each side of the rails, and thus affording the maximum of strength and security in the fastenings.

When desired, truss-rods c 0 may be provided to strengthen the tie, such rods being made of wrought-iron or other material of sufficient tensile strength and having their ends cast into the ends of the tie, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2. The use of these truss-rods is not essential, however, as the fastening means is the significant feature of my invention.

The ties may be laid, if desired, with the clutches d all on one side of the rails and the keys e on the other without altering the principal object of my invention.

Under the rails b in each tie c is a recessed cavity h. Within the cavity 71/ is placed a lever t'provided with a fulcrum-stud 7c and having a weight-ball m on the end of its longer member, also having its shorter member directed toward the key 0. The vertical side of the key 6 may have a small cavity, as shown in Fig. 1, for the reception of the free end of the shorter member of the lever 01. When the key e is pushed upward, it contacts with and elevates the free end of the lever 7) until the latter is sufficiently elevated to permit it to drop into the cavity in said key. In this manner the lever holds the key fast against ordinary shocks, inasmuch as ordinary vibrations are resisted by the reaction of the weight m on the longer member of the lever. On the application of a SU'l'liClGIlt force to the upper end of the key a the weight is elevated and the short member of the lever t depressed until it slips from the cavity, releasing the key.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A railway-tie, comprising a tie-body having fixed clutches, and removable keys therein spaced apart from said clutches, said clutches and said keys adapted to secure rails therebetWeen, and truss-rods having their ends secured in said tie-body.

2. A railway-tie, comprising a tie-body having fixed clutches opening in the same direction, removable keys therein opposite to and spaced apart from said clutches, said clutches and said keys adapted to secure rails therebetween, and truss-rods having their ends secured in the ends of said tiebody.

3. A railway-tie, comprising a tie-body having fixed clutches, removable keys therein spaced apart from said clutches, said clutches and said keys adapted to secure rails therebetween, and a Weighted lever for securing each of said keys removably in said tie-body.

Signed at Waterloo, Iowa, this 19th day of FRANK BRYER. Witnesses:

G. G. KENNEDY, J. F. ALBRECHT. 

